American Historical Ephemera & Photography

7 1/2 x 12 1/4 in. ledger, 99pp, spanning May 1864 - February 1866 and containing manuscript Special Orders (ledger heavily worn especially at spine, front cover completely detached, pages with expected toning, light soil, scattered marks, but legible, approx. six pages at front with newspaper clippings adhered over manuscript entries). Most orders issued near/from Head Quarters, Sioux City, Iowa, but after 25 May 1865 orders are issued from other locations including "Camp Floyd," "Camp in the Field," "Camp No. 23 near Fort Rice," and "Fort Randall D.T." 

Ledger contains standard orders related to detachments, duties, discipline, desertion, provisions, etc., and other orders particularly relevant to a frontier post and dealing with such matters as stolen horses and Native Americans. One unique order is Special Order No. 58, 25 April 1865, which directed Captain T.F. Dwight, A.Q.M. to purchase a "sufficient quantity of suitable material for draping the public buildings at this post" as part of funeral ceremonies honoring the late President Lincoln. Additional orders of note include: Special Order #4: 5/29/1864, a sergeant and 12 men are detailed to guard 29 Indians, ensuring that "the Indians molest nobody and nobody molest them on their way to the Crow Creek Agency place of destination" and Special Order #63: 5/8/1865, Capt. Nathaniel Pope will issue to the Winnebego Indians now at the post and on their way to Omaha 200 rations

The 7th Iowa Cavalry was organized under special authority of the War Department for the purpose of assisting in the defense of the western and northern frontier settlements against Indians who may be hostile. With large numbers of troops already called to the field for service during the Civil War, the regiment organized slowly between late 1862 and the summer of 1863. It was mustered into Federal service for a three-year enlistment, officially serving in the Union Army during the Indian Wars.